I purchased the Air Relax for my daughter who is a D1 cross country and track athlete. She loves them, they have access to Normatec at school but has to share and loves being able to have her own at her apartment and to travel with. Can't beat the price, search Thomas Gerlach post for a discount code to save 20%. I picked up a second pair along with the shorts. Well worth it for recovery and warm up. Can't compare them with Speedhound, but there really is no difference (according to her) with the Normatec except for the settings available...Air relax shuts off after 15 minutes vs. Normatec longer settings but the rest and what you are paying for is basically the same, compression.

I haven't reviewed them directly against each other but I compared SpeedHound to Normatec here back in April. When I originally wrote my Air Relax vs Normatec piece back in 2016, Air Relax could be had for sub $350 while NormaTec was $1695. That gap came down to $1495 but you could also get at least $100 off with a CC, and now the Pulse 2.0 system was brought down to $1295. Meanwhile, Air Relax has crept up in price and will likely to continue to creep up due to increased component costs, tariffs etc. It is now closer to $450 for size 3 even after the CC. They also have their Air Relax+ out, but it not available in the US as it has not been cleared by the FDA. The Air Relax was a no-brainer against the Normatec as a VERY affordable alternative with many happy messages from users.

As for Speed Hound, I can say the system is really nice. The UI is super clean and easy to follow with big buttons. It is also a little quieter. Sam, the owner of SpeedHound, is a triathlete himself and is a longtime lurker here as well. The system UI will look very similar to Rapid Reboot because it is actually made by the same company as is the entire unit. However SpeedHound is smaller, quieter, has a nice pop-up handle for one-handed re-positioning, and the biggest thing is the hoses come out the top instead of the bottom like Rapid Reboot. This is the biggest thing as it ends up being much more of hassle to position the Rapid Reboot head unit and the cords get tangled. At $650 it effectively kills Rapid Reboot.

Whether the $200 is worth it for you is really up to you. $350 to $1695 was a huge discrepancy. All the devices effectively do the same thing and the prices have condensed. I will say that Air Relax has more of rapid-fire approach to compression, it cycles very quickly, which is probably why it is a little louder to get the pressure up, while the Speed Hound system is more like the Normatec in that it takes a little more time inflate the zones so more time is spent in each zone before moving on to the next and one complete cycle takes longer. By default the Speed Hound boots fit a little more snug than Air Relax. It is hard to say whether the rapid-fire approach is any better or worse and the snugness is more of a personal preference. They also have roomier boots as well.

Sam has a nice 45-day love them guarantee as well. I can say you won't regret getting Speed Hound but yes it is $200 more.

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So, did you end up making a purchase? Which one did you go with? How is it working out?

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Do you happen to have a discount code for the European Website of Air Relax?

Deciding between Air Relax and Reboots (German brand, tried them at IM Barcelona).

I don't sorry. The European territory is owned by a distributor of Air Relax I believe.

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Ok, thank you!

Also - if I may ask another question - do you think a portable (rechargeable battery operated) one is worth paying extra for? I'm struggling to see me travelling with the boots (although could be great for training camps, which I don't currently have time for), so mainly a question of convenience at home for me.

I mean it is a nice feature depending on your particular use-case around the house, and assuming you remember to always plug it back in. For me, I have kind of a unique set up with my bed and nightstand and it isn't necessary. Now whether you want to pay 2x for that feature, that is up to you. I have used the boots in the airport before with no outlet. I don't recommend this though, maybe it is more prevalent now, but it has gained the attention of security before and lots of looks from the general public as well.

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haha - I don't think I'd have the balls to use them in a public space. The reboots ones are EUR 100 extra for the portable version, but with what looks like slightly lower specs (fewer programs and fewer chambers). I think I'll probably order the reboots (799 Eur vs 669 for the Air Relax).

LOVE Air Relax. I have had for almost 2yrs. I use every night for at least 30-45 minutes. They have worked fantastic.

Hey - - new to the compression boot thing. I just tried them for the first time this past Saturday after a strength workout and I am now obsessed . . . trying to decide which ones. I am 5'3.5" and my significant other who would likely use them a lot as well is 5'9.5" - - so I have concerns about buying a system we would be able to share without further investment in multiple boots (but would love to hear your thoughts on that). The ones I used were Normatec brand - - that belong to the studio where I was doing a workout. They were definitely quite large on me but worked great so I am thinking if anything I would just get longer boots and it would be fine.
I am torn between the $545 Air Relax that multiple ladies I train with have raved about, the $745 Speed Hounds that apparently have features only available in the Normatec Pulse Pro but for less than 1/3 the price . . . or the Normatec Pulse 2.0 which is now on sale for $995.

I will admit you singing the praises of the SpeedHound has me leaning towards that model . . . was going to pull the trigger on the air relax prior to stumbling on this thread, not to mention if it comes with a storage bag that is even better (I live in a house with four cats so securely storing these when not in use is paramount).

I’ve had my air relax for 4 years with no problems. Use them daily. If they break tomorrow I would buy them again.

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Let food be thy medicine...

Awesome - - thank you. That is quite the endorsement!

So what I generally say is that Speed Hound has much more of athletic fit to their boots versus say Air Relax. They also have a wider width boots as well. Anyway, I had one lady in particular, teeny-tiny thing, and Air Relax just didn't work for her because she was just too skinny for them. Air Relax is definitely the most generous with sizing compared to Speed Hound and Normatec being more of a middle ground. Air Relax's guts sort of come out of medical where patients can be quite large. Speed Hound was designed more for athletes. From a point of use standpoint I hear it all the time that people think they are all the same when using them. That is with many things in life, bikes, cars, homes etc. A bikes get you from place a-b, a car gets you from a-b, a home provides you shelter. Some bikes, cars, and homes have more bells and whistles. Having compression boots gets you most of the way. Then there are bells and whistles which add that extra little icing on top.

Speed Hound is a great system with a super simple UI. Device is a good size and little more quiet than Air Relax. If shorts are something you are looking for then I definitely recommend Speed Hound system as I know you will probably prefer the shorts from Speed Hound. And I do prefer the Speed Hound shorts over Normatec as well. If the ladies love Air Relax and you want to fit in then go with Air Relax. And yes, not sure what feature you are referencing but I am guessing "deactivate zone" which is in Speed Hound and Normatec Pulse. As for hubby. Never hurts to get two pair of boots that way you can both enjoy better sizing. You don't need to get two complete systems. Just two pair of boots. Or you can share and just get one.

You can get the Speed Hound for $695 with coupon RecoverFaster20. If reading at a later date, I always keep the discount (if available) updated in my Speed Hound review.

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Always good to hear that you are still getting use from them and going strong. It is crazy. Was just reading the Normatec reviews on Amazon, I occasionally peruse them and they are filled with defective devices. I definitely heard of a device or two (myself included) going bad, but I wonder if all the issues were in outsourcing more manufacturing to get the price down. Definitely some Air Relax units that went south out there two but always good to know that it is still going strong 4 years later and with good daily use.

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i've got speedhounds and like them... happily using them for about 10 months now. i can't say much in terms of comparing systems as other than a try of normatecs some time back i haven't got anything to compare to. for me the decision came down to price/availability for my situation (shipping to NZ) on which speedhound were a big win. they were great to deal with on the purchase too.

i will add that the deactivate zone feature is really valuable in that i have long legs whereas my wife not so much so. we use the same boots, she just deactivates the last zone - far cheaper than buying a 2nd pair of boots!

definitely keep them protected from cats - they're pretty tough so probably wouldn't be a problem for typical behaviour but it would only take a cat getting bored once to destroy them.

I was going to mention this as a feature in how to save some money. I do think 4 zones, two dedicated to knee and below, and two at the knee and above is a good balance. Would be interesting to see you get a second pair of boots and hear any feedback from the wife.

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Thank you! This is super helpful about the sizing. I am sure no matter which I choose I will be happy so I just have to pull the trigger . . . It is between the Speed Hound and Air Relax. With current pricing plus coupons the price differential between them isn't even $100 . . . so I am guessing that in your opinion that narrow of a price differential would tip in favor of the Speed Hounds?

It is a $100. I can't say how much that matters to you or not. I would go with the Speed Hound in this instance and knowing you are triathlete. If you were large diabetic person, with swelling legs I might say otherwise. Speed Hound has a awesome 45-day love them guarantee too!

Also for others reading in the future. A reminder than when I first reviewed Air Relax vs Normatec in 2016, Normatec was like $1895 and Air Relax was less $350. The gap has closed significantly moving Normatec to $995 and Air Relax has increased to about $550. Still a large gap but not quite the gap that existed in 2016.

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Someone here should try a generic pair from amazon for $99, see if they are comparable... :)

https://www.amazon.com/...dExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

BF is right around corner.
I saw Normatec $899 @ bestbuy last weekend. Might the system with the best coupon this BF win!

I own both systems - I would go with SpeedHound for sure.

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Buddy of mine was looking, and randomly tried 'slowtwitch' in the discount code on the normatec site, and it took $100 off, so $895 direct from them as well.

Interestingly they no longer ship to Canada, and the Canadian distributor charges $1900 Can + tax lol.

Black Friday day deal:

Speed hound $675 BF deal
Normatec $849 bestbuy before BF coupons
I am leaning towards Normatec.

I have thought about it many times just for the experience and the knowledge but I know they can't compete. Not that they should, I mean it is advertised as a "massager" not a "compression"

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Save: $50 on Speed Hound Recovery Boots | $20 on Air Relax| $100 on Normatec| 15% on Most Absorbable Magnesium

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